Letter: Restore funding for Springfield infrastructure upkeep

Comment

The State Journal-Register

Writer

Posted Feb. 28, 2014 at 1:03 AM

Posted Feb. 28, 2014 at 1:03 AM

The letter by Michael D. Zahn published last Sunday regarding our poorly funded infrastructure raises good points but misses a fundamental question about the budgeting that has resulted in the current problem.

Many years ago, municipalities budgeted tax dollars to build this infrastructure. While costs of maintenance have increased over the years, so too have taxes.

If other budgeting priorities took the place of infrastructure in the allocation of tax dollars when decisions were made, then it is time to look at restoring the funding for these needs and perhaps eliminating the items that siphoned off the tax dollars that previously supported these needs, rather than asking for more funding and seeking new “sources of revenue.”

It is a question of priorities and a willingness to develop a plan that addresses the improvements over time rather than an all-at-once quick fix. Indeed, the problems would not exist but for the years of neglect of this as a budgeting priority.

After all, this is one of the main reasons we all pay taxes. This is not a “tax problem” but a leadership problem that developed over time and needs to be remedied over time.

Every time a budget falls short, these high priority needs should not be used to leverage more tax funding from the citizens. Re-examine the budgeting priorities and use the resources available to manage these needs through long-range planning. This would result in addressing the “real problem.”